The most popular movies among NYTimes.com readers.

Review Summary

At first glance, and frequently thereafter, “Sherrybaby” appears to fit comfortably into a familiar class of movies. The film, written and directed by Laurie Collyer, was shown at the Sundance Film Festival, and emerged from the affiliated Sundance Lab, where the downbeat and the redemptive are mixed together according to a scientifically precise formula and shot on digital video. The grim realism of the opening scenes and the mopey, acoustic-guitar-driven music foreshadow the story to follow. Sherry Swanson (Maggie Gyllenhaal) has just been released from prison after three years. A former heroin addict, she must now grapple with the demons of addiction while trying to reconnect with her young daughter, Alexis (Ryan Simpkins). In the midst of these large struggles, she needs to tend to the mundane necessities of finding a job, dealing with her parole officer (Giancarlo Esposito) and fighting the daily temptation to slip back into drug use. What screenwriters call the arc of the story is visible from the outset, and some of the scenes in “Sherrybaby” have a familiar look and feel. But what distinguishes the film from its many peers is the quality of Ms. Collyer’s writing — which rarely reaches for obvious, melodramatic beats — and the precision of Ms. Gyllenhaal’s performance. — A. O. Scott